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(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 1;

J. R. PARMER. ELECTRIC SIGNAL LAMP.

No. 567,338. Patented Se t. 8, 1896.

' (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. R. FARMER. ELECTRIC SIGNAL LAMP.

No. 567,338. Patented Sept. 8, 1896.

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(No Model.) 5"Sheets-Sheet 4.

J. R. PARMB-R. ELECTRIC SIGNAL LAMP.

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- J. R. FARMER.

ELECTRIC SIGNAL LAMP.

No. 567,338. Patented Sept. 8, 1896.

V UNITED STATES- PATENT ()FFIcE.

JOHN R. FARMER, ST. LOUIS, MISS OURI, ASSIGNOR TO THE FARMER ELECTRICALGOMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC SIG NAL-LAM P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 567,338, datedSeptember 8, 1896. Application filed March 14, 1895. Serial No. 541,664.(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LJOHN R. FARMER, of the city of St. Louis, State ofMissouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in ElectrioSignal-Lamps, of which the following is a description, reference beinghad to the accompanyin g drawings,formin g a part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of signallamps which show a danger orright-of-way light at the crossing of electric railways. The object ofmy invention is to provide a lamp that will revolve automatically on theapproach of a car by means of a simple mechanism operated by an electricconnection formed by the trolley of the car, which closes a circuitthrough the magnet f the lamp and turns the lamp so as to throw a whitelight in the direction the car is moving and a red light in thedirection of the cross-line.

Referring to the drawings, Figure I illustrates a side elevation of thelamp and the superimposed electromagnet. Fig. II illustrates a top viewof the electromagnets, showing the wiring, contacts, and brushes. Fig.III illustrates a cross-section of the same portion of the device asshown in Fig. II through the line II II. Fig. IV illustrates a top Viewof the turning mechanism with the armatureandmagnetsremoved.Fig.Villustrates a bottom view of Fig. II, showing the fuse-block. Fig.VI illustrates in detail the electromagnets, showing the armature drawnto the left coil. Fig. VII shows the same view with the armature drawnto the right.

Fig. VIII illustrates a modified form of turning mechanism. Fig. IXshows a cross-section of the same. Fig. X is a diagram showing adouble-track cross-line with the lamp in the center of the crossing.diagram showing one lamp in the lantern and other lamps used for meetingthe resistance. Fig. XII is a cross-section of the lantern, showing fourlights therein.

The same numbers designate the same or similar parts throughout theseveral figures.

1 is the hood, placed over the device.

2 is a rectangular frame secured thereto and supporting a second frame3, to which the electromagnets 4 are fastened.

, 5 is the lamp, suspended from the center of Fig. XI is a the frame 2,having four lights, alternately white and red.

6 is the wire, through which the current of electricity is introduced.This current is turned through the device from the trolley wire by meansof any suitable construction of circuit closer and breaker A B, whichmay be of any suitable construction. Ihave illustrated the constructionshown in my application, Serial No. 536,224, filed January 25, 1895.

7 is a binding-post. nection therewith.

9 is a contact-plate rigidly secured by means of the insulator 10 to thearmature 11.

12 is a wire passing from contact 9 to the electromagnet l. F

13 is the core of the electromagnets. 14 is the wire leading from thesaid electromagnet to the fuse-block 16.

r 16 is a fuse-block. therefrom to the lamp.

18 is a ground-Wire.

19 is acrankpin carried on the armature 11.

20 is a crank adapted to be turned by the 8 is a brush in con- 17 is thewire leading pin 19, said pin moving in the sliding joint 21.

22 are springs secured to binding-screws 23 in the frame 2 and attachedto the crank 20, they being adapted to keep the said crank in a fixedposition unless it is turned by the crank-pin 19.

24 is ashaft secured to the crank 20 and turned thereby, said shaftsupporting the lantern 5.

15 is the ground-wire binding-post.

The operation of the device is as follows: A current of electricityturned bythe circuit maker and breaker A A, located on the wires of oneof the cross-tracks (see Fig. X) and entering the device through thewire 6, passes through the binding-post 7 t0 the brush 8. If, as shownin Figs. I, II, and VI, this brush is in contact with plate 9, thecurrent is conducted therethrough to the coil aboutthe electromagnet 4.Upon this occurringthe when the car approached on the other crossline,then the reverse action would occur, the electromagnet at would be used,and the armature would be drawn to it instead of to 4:, as described.The current of electricity passes from the electromagnet-coil outthrough wire 14 to. the fuse-block 16, thence to the lamp 5. WVith eachmovement of the armature 11 to one or the other of the magnets the pin19, attached to said armature, makes a backward or forward motion. Thispin rides in a slot 21 of a crank 20, said crank being secured to theshaft 24, which supports the lamp. The backward and forward motion ofthe crank-pin 19 thus imparts an oscillating motion througha limited arcof, say, one-eighth or one-quarter of a circle,which inturn moves thelamp 5 through the same are. If the motion is through one-quarter of acircle, a white li-ght,'which has been thrown in the direction atJri-ghtangles to that of an approaching car, will be turned into the directionof the car and a red light will be shown in the direction or thecross-line. 'Figs. VIII and 1X show a modified form of changing thelongitudinal motion of the armature to rotary. Instead of carrying a pin19 it is'furnished with a rack 19. This rack is adapted to turn acog-wheel 20, to which the lamp 5 is secured. Both where a crank 20 andcrank-pins 19 and a rack 19 and cogwheel 20 are used springs 22 and 22are secured theretoand are adapted to turn the lamp back to its normalposition after having been turned therefrom by the action of thearmature and magnet.

Fig, XI illustrates in diagram my method Fig. XII shows all four lightsin the emtern 5.

I claim as my invention- In an automatic signal for electricrailwaycrossings the combination of the crossing trolley-wires havingadjacent thereto contacts to be charged by impingement of the trolley, amovable signal-lamp, an armature controlling the movements of said lamp,electromagnets moving said armature in opposite directions, a conductorleading to ground, conductors leading from the trolley-contacts tocontacts at opposite ends of the armature, brushes carried by thearmature and adapted to impinge on their respective contacts by oppositemovements of the armature, conductors connecting the respective brusheswith'corresponding magnets, and wires connecting both magnets with thecommon ground connection, through the lamp so that when eithertrolley-contact and trolley-wire are bridged by a trolley-wheeh-thecontact,the corresponding magnet, and the lamp are connected in a seriescircuit branched from the main line and independent of the motor and theconnection from the other track is me chanically interrupted, asexplained.

JOHN R. FARMER.

In presence of- STANLEY STONER, W. FINLEY.

